Favorite Things
and a few deals for you, too!My Gear
Canon 5D MarkIII
Canon 50mm 1.2L
Canon 24-70mm 2.8L
Canon 100mm 2.8L macro
Canon 135mm 2.0L
Sigma Art 35mm 1.4
My Computer
27” iMac with 72GB RAM
Basic image processing: Adobe Lightroom Classic // Advanced image processing for all large prints and art: Adobe Photoshop
Album and Book Design: Pixellu SmartAlbums
Slideshow Design: Pixellu SmartSlides
Gallery Hosting and Print Fulfillment: Cloudspot
Admin work on the go: Dell laptop running Microsoft Office
My Diffuser
for indoor sessions
In addition to coordinating with my clients about the best time of day for the window light in their home, I use this diffuser for every in-home session, and it’s an essential part of my set up for at-home newborns portraits! The inner piece is the diffuser, and the four reflector/deflector options are also great tools for modifying light in your shooting space. They come in other shapes and sizes, but I like how this huge one stays put easily anywhere I need to set it up.
My Treat
for all the kids (and sometimes grownups)All my repeat clients know that they get a lollipop at the end! Always red, just in case I have to bust it out early, I know that it won’t turn tongues or lips strange colors! I always ask mom and dad if it’s okay ahead of time, especially now during covid, and I always have a dye-free option in my camera bag too, just in case it’s a no-red-dye family. I get cherry tootsie pops in bulk every season!
My Favorite Bug Spray
that’s safe for babies too
Even though I warn clients about the potential for mosquitoes at outdoor sessions and I advise that they bring their own repellent… I always have some of this in my wagon and certain times of the year I always offer to spritz the ankles of my clients who might be susceptible to bug bites. This one smells nice (in my opinion), and I like that it is not only effective but also safe for babies!
My Wagon
for outdoor sessions
After a couple years of wearing my gear in a heavy bag, and expecting my clients to haul their stuff in their strollers, I bought this exact wagon and it was a game changer! Now my clients can pile everything into my wagon, which also fits my stool and gear-bag, and no one has to carry anything the entire session. The super-wide wheels built for any terrain are the best!
My Tablet
for editing
Track pads and computer mice cannot offer me the same precision I can get editing and working with a tablet and pen. There’s a little bit of a learning curve, but if you quit your trackpad cold-turkey and commit to using this tablet, I think it will change your life and you’ll never look back!! The feeling of drawing with a pen while editing feels so wonderfully natural and it reduced my carpal tunnel symptoms during my last two pregnancies too! 100% worth the investment.
Pixellu
book + album design and slideshow softwareNew to designing albums or making slideshows for your clients? I cannot say enough great thiClick Here and use code for 25% off the for 20% off the All Apps Bundlengs about Pixellu SmartAlbums and Pixellu Smartslides. I have literally saved hours of my life using these tools to provide incredible services and products to my all my newborn and family clients.
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My Storage Cards
the only ones I trust
SanDisk has been my trusted card brand since I did all the research years ago before investing in cards for the first time. I personally prefer SD cards (over CF cards) and I like the 32GB size best. I don’t mind swapping cards mid-session if I fill it up. I only trust the 300MB/s write speed because if I shoot lots of frames in a row, I need my camera and my card to work together quickly to write all those files without delay!
Dust Cleaner
and super cool rocket blower prop
Never wipe your glass during a session and never blow on your lens with your mouth! These little rockets come in handy for getting unexpected dust off of my glass during outdoor sessions, and I have found that they are a great way to get kids’ attention. If during a newborn session, I have a super curious older sibling who wants to be a helper and touch all my stuff, I always say “do you want to play with my rocket?” and it makes them feel included without me having to worry about anything expensive getting damaged. Since they are so cheap, if a kid sticks it up his nose, I’ll just let him keep it as a souvenir! A must have for your gear bag.
Cloudspot
gallery-hosting and print-fulfillmentAfter being on the client side of several popular photography gallery host platforms, I didn’t trust any of them to serve my clients and my business well. Until I found Cloudspot. Since I signed on with them last year, I have been blown away by their brand-friendly customization, simple user-interface for me and my clients, and incredible customer service.
Get 20% off your Cloudspot Subscription simply by Clicking Here!
My Stool
for all sessions
This stool comes with me to every single session. Even at 5’10” tall, I still use it at every outdoor session. Outdoors, it’s super packable and its sturdiness has never failed me, even on ill-advised uneven ground more times than I care to admit. Indoors, this is what I sit on while I wrap newborns in my lap and what I stand on for most of the newborn portraits shot with my 100mm, as well as many other indoor lifestyle photographs that I make.
My Favorite Book
everyone should read
If you are going to read only one book this year, make it this one. It will help your business. It will help your relationships. It will change you for the better. As I am someone with a naturally ‘fixed mindset’, this book opened my eyes to new potential that I could unlock by making new choices about my thought patterns. It is the most important modern book of my adult life and I want you to read it too!!
My Favorite Coffee
after a year of tasting
I didn’t drink coffee or consume any caffeine for almost eighteen years… until last summer when I accidentally ate a protein bar that contained caffeine… at 8 o’clock at night. Six hours later I was still cuh-rankin’ and could not figure out why I was so wired and productive at 2am. The next day I had a closer look at the packaging for those protein bars and realized what I had done. I had broken a seventeen year streak of non-caffeinated livin’. That day, I decided that since I could no longer honestly say “I haven’t had caffeine as a grownup”, I might as well try coffee and see what all the fuss was about. After months and months of asking rookie questions about coffee and tasting a variety of styles and additives, I learned that I like my coffee cold, and that this kind right here is my total favorite. Maybe you’ll enjoy it too!
disclosure: I will earn on qualifying purchases from Amazon.